Pregnancy should be about what you’re gaining in life, not what you’re giving up. But if you’re worried about what else you might be adding over the next nine months, Megan Reynolds, dietician and owner of Healthy Helpings Nutrition Services, offers three foods every expectant mother should be eating (and enjoying).
Spinach“You’re looking for things that have calcium to help build strong bones,” Reynolds says. With plenty of iron, folate and calcium to aid prenatal development, the versatile veggie can be a base of chicken salad, or added to soup or smoothies.
Yogurt
Mixed with granola or fruit, yogurt can be a sweet, calcium-packed snack. In parfaits and smoothies, it makes a guilt-free treat. “If you’re craving something cold in the summer months, you can make half a cup of frozen yogurt,” Reynolds says.
Homemade Pizza
Indulge in this do-it-yourself carb craving using fiber-rich whole-wheat dough and low-fat mozzarella for calcium. “Add as many vegetables as you’d like,” says Reynolds, who enjoys a combination of peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach.
